Weekly Release #19: U-M Sends Seven to NCAA Championships
6/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
This Week
Wed-Sat., June 10-13 -- at NCAA Championships (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Championship Central | Live Stats | Schedule of Events (PDF) | Ticket Information
The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan women's track and field team will conclude its 2009 season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships Wednesday-Saturday (June 10-13) in Fayetteville, Ark. The championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas, will take place at John McDonnell Field. Competition begins at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday and will resume at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, 11 a.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Sevenathletes -- seniors Geena Gall(Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), Amber Hay(Detroit, Mich./Renaissance),Tiffany Ofili(Ypsilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti), Casey Taylor(Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) and Bettie Wade(Northville, Mich./Farmington) along with sophomores Emily Pendleton(Lindsay, Ohio/Woodmore) and Danielle Tauro(Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) -- will represent U-M at the NCAA Championships. Last season, the Maize and Blue scored 29 points to earn a seventh-place finish. Michigan's best finish came in 2007 when the Wolverines earned third place with 36 points.
CBS will be airing the championships live on CBS College Sports Friday, June 12, 6-9 p.m. and on Saturday, June 13, noon-2 p.m. on CBS. Live streaming video will be available throughNCAA.comand arkansasrazorbacks.com Wednesday and Thursday as well as Friday and Saturday when CBS and CBS College Sports are not airing events live.
Competing Wolverines
The following is a list of the Michigan competitors at the NCAA Championships with the schedule of when their events will take place; the number in parenthesis denotes their national ranking entering the competition.
800-meter run: Geena Gall (2)
First Round: Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.
Semifinal: Thursday, 7:15 p.m.
Final: Saturday, 12:19 p.m.
1,500-meter run: Danielle Tauro (12)
Semifinal: Thursday, 7:55 p.m.
Final: Saturday, 1:09 p.m.
100-meter hurdles: Tiffany Ofili (1)
First Round: Thursday, 5:30 p.m.
Semifinal: Friday, 6:55 p.m.
Final: 12:52 p.m.
400-meter hurdles: Amber Hay
First Round: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Semifinal: Thursday, 6:45 p.m.
Final: Friday, 7:55 p.m.
High Jump: Bettie Wade (13)
Qualifying: Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.
Final: Friday, 4 p.m.
Long Jump: Bettie Wade (19)
Qualifying: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Final: Thursday, 4:45 p.m.
Triple Jump: Casey Taylor (22)
Qualifying: Friday, 3 p.m.
Final: Saturday, noon
Discus: Emily Pendleton (7)
Qualifying: Thursday, 10:30 a.m.
Final: Saturday, noon
Heptathlon: Bettie Wade (3)
Day One: Thursday, 11:15 p.m.
Day Two: Friday, 1:45 p.m.
Ofili Named Honda Award Nominee
Tiffany Ofili has been named as one of four nominees for the 2008-09 Honda Sports Award for Track and Field, given to the most outstanding female collegiate athlete in the nation. Honda Sports Award nominees are selected not only for their superior athletic skills, but also for their leadership abilities, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Ofili is U-M's first-ever nominee for the Honda Sports Award for Track and Field.
Ofili Breaks Mideast Regional Record
Tiffany Ofili set a new NCAA Mideast Regional record en route to winning the 100-meter hurdles at the Mideast Regional Championship. Ofili ran the hurdles in 12.96 seconds, breaking the old record of 13.13 seconds set by Ohio State's Molly Logan in 2003.
Back to Defend Their Crowns
Tiffany Ofili and Geena Gall return to the outdoor track as defending national champions from a season ago. Gall is the defending national champion in the 800-meter run, while Ofili is the two-time defending NCAA champion in the 100-meter hurdles. Ofili has also won the last two NCAA 60-meter indoor hurdle crowns, including earlier this season at the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas.
Ofili is looking to become just the second runner ever to win the 100-meter hurdles three times at the NCAA Championships. To date, the only three-time winner in the event is Gillian Russell of Miami, Fla. (1993, '94, '95). The last repeat champion in the 800-meter run was North Carolina's Alice Schmidt in 2002 and '03.
Returning All-Americans
In addition to Tiffany Ofili and Geena Gall returning as national champions, Bettie Wade returns as an All-American from the 2008 outdoor season. Wade took third place in the heptathlon at last season's NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn All-America status.
U-M at the NCAA Outdoor Championships
U-M has recorded top-10 finishes in each of the past two NCAA Outdoor Championships, finishing seventh last season and third, a program best, in 2007. The Wolverines have scored at each of the past seven NCAA Outdoor Championships
Gall Sweeps Big Ten Outdoor Track Honors
Geena Gall earned both Big Ten Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year and Track Athlete of the Championships award, announced Wednesday, May 20. Gall won both the 800- and 1,500-meter runs at the Big Ten Championships (May 15-17). Gall is the third Wolverine this season to earn Big Ten Athlete of the Year honors. During the indoor season, Tiffany Ofili and Bettie Wade were named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year and Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year, respectively. Wade also earned Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships during the indoor season.
Ofili Wins Three Conference Crowns
Tiffany Ofili won the 100-meter hurdles, the long jump and was part of U-M's winning 4x100-meter relay at the Big Ten Championships (May 15-17). Her victory in the 100-meter hurdles is the third Big Ten outdoor title of her career. She also won the event as a freshman (2006) and a sophomore (2007). As a junior in 2008, Ofili took second in the event. Ofili is the only Wolverine to ever win the 100-meter hurdles at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Overall, Ofili has won nine Big Ten titles in her career: 100m hurdles (2009, '07, '06), long jump (2009), 4x100m relay (2009), 60m hurdles indoor (2009, '08, '07) and long jump indoor (2008).
Gall Continues 1,500-meter Dominance For Michigan
Geena Gall earned U-M its seventh overall victory in the 1,500-meter run and the sixth consecutive for the Maize and Blue at the Big Ten Championships (May 15-17). Michigan's first win in the event came in 1983 by Sue Fredrick Foster (1980-83). Lindsey Gallo (2002-05) began the current run with victories in 2004 and '05, Nicole Edwards (2005-08) collected the crown in 2006, Anna Willard (2007) was victorious in 2007 and Edwards won again in 2008. Gall also won the 800-meter run at the conference championship, giving her 10 career Big Ten titles: 800m (2009, '06), 1500m (2009), Distance medley relay indoor (2009, '08, '07, '06), 800m indoor (2009, '08, '07)
Pendleton Claims Back-to-Back Discus Crowns
Emily Pendleton earned her second straight Big Ten discus title at the Big Ten Championships (May 15-17). Pendleton becomes the second Wolverine to earn back-to-back title in the event, joining Penny Neer (1979-82). Melissa Bickett (2001-04) also won the event for the Maize and Blue in 2004.
Ofili Records Ferry Field's Fastest 100 Hurdles
Tiffany Ofili turned in the fastest 100-meter hurdle time ever recorded at historic Ferry Field on May 9 in the Len Paddock Invitational. Ofili clocked in with a time of 12.98 seconds, the first sub-13 second time in facility history.
Taylor Records Third-Best Triple Jump in U-M History
Casey Taylor recorded the third-best triple jump in U-M history en route to winning the event at the Len Paddock Invitational on May 8. Already the school triple jump record holder, Taylor posted a season-best effort of 42-10 3/4 (13.07m) on her final attempt in the final home meet of her career. Taylor's effort was just one-and-a-half inches off her school-record mark of 43-0 1/4.
Ofili Wins 100-meter Hurdles at Drake Relays
Tiffany Ofili was first across the line in the special invitation 100-meter hurdles at the Drake Relays (April 25) with a time of 12.82 seconds. Ofili bettered an elite field that included Olympians and former world champions. At the time, Ofili has the third-fastest 100-meter hurdle time in the world, behind only 2008 U.S. Olympian Damu Cherry (12.69) and 2008 Olympic silver medalist Sally McLellan (12.74) of Australia.
Ofili Named Outstanding Performer of the Drake Relays
Following her victory in the invitational 100-meter hurdles at the Drake Relays on April 25, Tiffany Ofili was named the outstanding collegiate performer of the meet. Ofili is the second Wolverine in four seasons to be named outstanding performer at the Drake Relays; Nicole Edwards (2005-08) earned the honor in 2006.
Reigning Record Holders
A number of current Wolverines have already stamped their name into the U-M record books as school record holders in outdoor events. Below is a list of Michigan outdoor records held by current Wolverines:
100-meter hurdles: Tiffany Ofili (12.73)
400-meter hurdles: Katie LaValley (57.78)
4x400-meter relay: Vinson, Gall, Hay, S. Williams* (3:35.95)
4x800-meter relay: Gall, Edwards*, Willard*, Erdman* (8:18.78)
4x1,500-meter relay: Gall, Edwards*, Willard*, Erdman* (17:15.62)
Distance Medley Relay: Tauro, S. Williams*, Gall, Edwards* (10:49.58)
Triple Jump: Casey Taylor (13.11m, 43-0 1/4)
* denotes former U-M athlete
Top Outdoor Marks of 2009
100-Meter Dash: Tiffany Ofili, 11.70
200-Meter Dash: Casey Taylor, 23.84
400-Meter Dash: Shana Vinson, 54.13
800-Meter Run: Geena Gall, 2:02.29
1,500-Meter Run: Geena Gall, 4:15.09
One-Mile Run: Geena Gall, 4:43.34
3,000-Meter Run: Danielle Tauro, 9:33.18
5,000-Meter Run: Kaitlyn Peale, 16:41.22
100-Meter Hurdles: Tiffany Ofili, 12.82
400-Meter Hurdles: Amber Hay, 58.80
4x100-Meter Relay: Ofili, Vinson, Cole, Taylor, 45.53
4x200-Meter Relay: Neville, Vinson, Graham, Taylor, 1:37.64
4x400-Meter Relay: Vinson, Neville, Hay, Gall, 3:37.45
Sprint Medley Relay: Ofili, Vinson, Hay, LaValley, 3:59.79
High Jump: Christina Solomon, 1.83m (6-0)
Long Jump: Tiffany Ofili, 6.49m (21-3 1/4)
Triple Jump: Casey Taylor, 13.38m (w) (43-1 3/4w)
Pole Vault: Abbey Breidenstein, 3.75m (12-3 1/2)
Shot Put: Allison Liske, 14.03m (46-0 1/2)
Hammer Throw: Melissa Gurchinoff, 51.83m (170-0)
Discus: Emily Pendleton, 55.06m (180-8)
Javelin: Bettie Wade, 36.08m (118-4)
Heptathlon: Bettie Wade, 5,834 points
Contact: Jeremy Reid (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
